Tire-forming apparatus



Feb. 12 ,r129. 1,702,112

J. R. GAMMETER TIRE FORMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 6, 1926 (5 Sheets-Sheet l J2 214 fm \\36 25 1li M-- 33 26 I 1 35 J0 32 5220 5/ ll 1-39 li j! 10 Why/all l I j? il 15 l fg, 4?- y 5 I al 16 l l] .l h I l1 #Jhlh pmb .43.- `-1 nl l l? l "1 l, 1 l|} 47W 1' il ma 45 1 l |11` l 1| 1 l 46 i. ...1.1 i l1 I4 mas 7b/27 E'amms/EE 57; W-

Feb. 12, 1929. 1,702,112

J. R. GAMMETER TIRE FORMING APPARATUS l 1ly 1 l||| Patented F eb. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. GAMMETER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. GOODRCI-I COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TIRE-FORMING APPARATUS.

Application led February ing Jtires shaped from flat bands upon the bead-clamping rings upon which they are vulcanized, although not wholly limited thereto. Y

My chief objects are to provide improved procedure and apparatus for mounting a tire upon a pair of bead clamping rings. A more specific object is to provide for performing this operation in conjunction with the shaping of a transversely flat tire band to tire form, so that the several operations of shaping the tire, mounting an expansible core therein and mounting the tirev and core upon thebead clamping rings may be performed in the same machine and with rapidity` and economy. Y

Ot the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section, on line 1-1 ot' Fig. 4 ota machine embodying and adapted to carry out my invention inV its preferred form, at an early stage of operation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of parts thereof at a succeeding stage.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same at a later stage.

Fig. 4: is a plan view 'of parts of the apparatus and the work therein at the early stage of operation shown in Fig. 1. Y Y Fig. 5 is a horizontal Vsection on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings,y the machine comprises a Vstationary annular table 10 supported upon three pairs of legs orV standards 11, 11l which rise from a base casting 12 cen trally `formed as a vertical `ram cylinder` 13 which is provided with a fluid supply` and discharge pipe 14 controlled by a suitable three-way valve 15. Mounted in thesaid cylinder is a ram 16 having a head 17 adapted to lie within and with its upper face approximately flush with the topoi:- the annular table 10 when the ram is in its lowest position, as

in Fig. 1. The ram is formed, below its head, withthree laterally projecting guide brackets 18,18 slidably mounted upon respective guide posts 19, 19 rising from the base-'cast-y ing 12,'to avoid cramping. of the ram. Y

Mounted upon a set of supporting and spacing screws 20, 2O adjustably mounted in the annular table 10 is anrannular suction box 6, 1926. Serial No. 86,608.

21 having an annular hinged lid 22 which is f provided .with a sealing gasket 23 inset in its outer margin and adapted to seal against the upper edge ot a `cylinchical sleeve 21 to which the lid 22 is hinged, the said sleeve being provided with a gasket 25 and telescoped upon the suction box 21. The said sleeve 24 is adjustably supported by a set of supporting screws 26, 26 and adapted to be raised or lowered thereon to vary the height of the chamber defined by the suction box 21, sleeve 24 and lid 22, for shaping tires of diiferent sizes in cross-section. The suction box 21 and lid 22, when the latter is closed, as in-Fig.v 17 are adapted to receive a transversely tlat tire-band 27 against their' inner edges', with the lower edge of the tire band resting upon the inner margin of the annular table l0, so that the tire-band ormsa closure for the chamber above mentioned and may be drawn out substantially to tire form by suction applied to the chamber, for which avtelescopic suction conduit 28 provided with a suitable three-way valve 29 is provided.

In Figs. 1 and fl an expansible tire core 8O is shown within the tire-band, in position to follow the middle zone of the tire-band outward as the latter isshaped, the core being distorted in an involutev told 31 to permit it to lit within the -unexpanded tire-band, and in Figs. 2 and 3 the core 30 shown in its normal circular form within the shaped tireband.

An annular series of stop-blocks 32, 32 are secured to a surrounding metal band 33 and removably mounted in the suction box to limit thenexpansion of the.tireband. The lid 22 mayfbe provided with a counterweight -34 and adapted to he limited in its lid-opening. movement,- with an over-center eiiect, by

a stop-bar 35 mounted between the lids hinge.

brackets 36, 36. 1.

The suction box 21 and sleeve 24; are held so spaced above the table 10 by the screws 2() and 26 andthe screws are so spaced apart circumterentially of the table as to permit the insertion of a lower bead-clamping ring 37 from the side, into the space between the table and the suction ybox after the adjacentl margin of the tirefband has been lifted from the table by the shaping operation, and the upper face of the ram-head 17 is formedV about its outer periphery with an outwardly facing annular shoulder 38 adapted to intert with a complemental `face formed on the beadclamping ring to center the latter upon the ram-head.

43 secured in the hook member'fan'd having n itsv end portions slidably mounted 'in 'the guidel slots il of the standards. V 1 For simultaneously raising the three hooks through the ram head i7, inf@ POS'OH to engage'an upper bead-clamping ringe/While permitting them toY remain in invvar'dly tilted positions yso as to pass through the rings, each hook has pivoted to the foot of the Z, at a point outward from its center of gravity, the

upper end of a connecting rodkll running to a piston Li6 mounted in a cylinder 47 which is secured in the base-casting 12, the three cylindersbeing providedwith a manifold t8 controlled'by a suitable three-Way valve 49 for simultaneously vcharging and exhausting their lower ends. Each hook eOisformed with astop lug or shoulder 50 adapted to contact vthe head ot' the connecting rod'45 to limit the inward tilting movement of the hook.

Inthe operation' of the machine' the tire#V ban`d27` andcore 301 are" mounted tlierein'as shown in Figs; land 4i, with the machine parts in the position there shown and with the valve 29 closed so thatthe interior of the suction bor:V is at atmospheric pressure.`

Suctionis then applied to the 'annular chamber ydelined by the suction box assembly and the tire-band byY operating thevalveQQ, which causesfthe'tire-band to be` suckedout substan'tiallyVV to tire form and the core toA spring out'to its normal circular form Within theshaped band, the bead portions ofy the band sliding toward each other on the inner f edges of the suction box 2l and lid 22 respectively untilstopped by the engagement of the beads, 5l, 5l, of the band with the said mem` bers. f y y The lid 22 is then'raised, tlie' upper' beady clamping ring 4st is laid upon the upper bead oi the tire as in Fig. 2,' and the lower beadclamning ring 37 is introduced from` the side of the machine and mountedupon the ramheadv 1'? linA the position shov'vn in 2.

y Thev hooks 4() arev then simultaneously raised to the positions oit Figi@ by 'operating' the valve '49', the hooks Amoving upward in Yinwardly tilted positions; by reason of their centers etgravity being inward of the masuction box adapted to shape an endless chine from the connecting rods 45, so that the hooks in their upward movement clear the bead-clamping rings. At the end of their up- Ward movement Contact of their pivot pins 1li-l with the upper end Valls oli' the slots il causes the hooks to swineV outwardly to the positionsl of Fig. 2 so that their hooked upper end portions overlie the upper bead-clamping ring.

While the hooks are so held by the cylinders 47 the Vram 16 is raised by operating the valve l5, carrying upward with it the lower bead-clamping ring and tire assembly and forcing the bead-clamping rings together against the hoo rs 40 to seat the rings within the tireA and core and abut the rings against each other as shown in Fig. Suitable ilclamps such as the clamp 52, Fig. 3, are then applied to the rings to hold the assembly in the relation shown, after which the ram cylinder and the hook-liftingcylinders are exhausted', permitting the ram and the hooks to descend to their starting positions and releasing the rimmed tire assembly, which is then lifted from the ram-head and removed from the machine for vulcanization. The operation as described is then repeated.

My invention provides simple, compact and economical apparatus for performing the operations described, and is susceptible of modification Within its scope as defined in the appended claims.

I claim :y

l. Tireorming apparatus comprising a suction box adapted to shape an endless band of tire-building ymaterial approximately to tire formby suction, means for supporting said boX With a space adjacent thereto adapt edto admit a bead-clamping ring, from a direction transverse to the axis of a band mounted'in the box, into axial' alignment with the band, and means for pressing the aligned bead-clamping rin-g against the band.

2. Tire-forming apparatus comprising a band of tire-building material alnn'oximatcly to tire'form by'suction, a bead-ring-pressing member mounted for movement axially to- W'ard said suction box, and a set oil bead-- clamp-ring hooks mounted ior movement through the central space ot said suction hon.

3. Tire-forming apparatus comprisingI means for supporting a U-shaped tire-bami with its bead portions unobstructed for 'the reception of a pair ot' bead-clamping rings, a set oi' hooks' adapted to be moved to project their hooked ends through the tire-band, so supported, means for so moving the hooks with their hooked ends held inward to clear the band and then spreading the hooks outwardly, and a presser member adapted to coact with saidhooks to 'torce the beads of the tire-band toward each other.

In Witness whereof have hereunto sot my hand this 28th day oi January, 1926. y

JOHN R. GAlvllviEilCll.

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